Youth Substance Use Declined, Older Adult Marijuana Use Rose

Key Takeaways

• Past-year illicit drug use among adolescents aged 12–17 fell from 14.6% in 2021 to 11.2% in 2025. Adolescent marijuana use fell from 10.9% to 8.7%.
• Among young adults aged 18–25, illicit drug use fell from 39% to 36.3% and marijuana use from 36.3% to 33.7%.
• Among adults 26 and older, illicit drug use rose from 20.5% to 23.5% and marijuana use from 17.3% to 20.6%.
• Most adolescents and young adults who needed substance use treatment in 2025 did not receive it.

Substance use among adolescents and young adults fell across most substances between 2021 and 2025, even as marijuana use rose among adults 26 and older, according to the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The survey, conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), was taken by more than 60,000 people across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, in person and online. SAMHSA counts marijuana, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, and methamphetamine as illicit drugs, along with misuse of prescription stimulants, tranquilizers, sedatives, and pain relievers.

Chris Jones, PharmD, DrPH, MPH, director of SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, said substance use began declining among adolescents before the COVID-19 pandemic and that the trend appears to be continuing among young adults in the new data. “Coupling that with other surveys that show downward trends, that seems to be a durable effect that we’re seeing in recent years,” he said.

Among adolescents aged 12 to 17, past-year illicit drug use fell from 14.6% (3.8 million) in 2021 to 11.2% (2.9 million) in 2025. Past-year marijuana use fell from 10.9% (2.8 million) to 8.7% (2.2 million). The share of adolescents who started using marijuana fell from 3.5% (913,000) to 2.4% (615,000), which Jones said can portend future declines in use.

Among young adults aged 18 to 25, past-year illicit drug use fell from 39% (13.2 million) to 36.3% (13.1 million), and marijuana use from 36.3% (12.3 million) to 33.7% (12.2 million). Marijuana initiation did not change significantly among young adults or adults 26 and older.

Adults 26 and older moved in the opposite direction. Illicit drug use rose from 20.5% (45.2 million) to 23.5% (53.8 million), and marijuana use from 17.3% (38.2 million) to 20.6% (47.2 million). Jones said rising adult use matters for younger people because community norms shape how young people perceive risk. He pointed to research on parent–child pairs showing that parents’ substance use, particularly marijuana, influences their children’s use.

The survey also found declines in suicidal thoughts and behaviors among adolescents. Jones said the two trends appear to be moving in the same direction, calling a possible link “a hypothesis that needs to be studied.”

Treatment gaps remain large. In 2025, 8.1% of adolescents (2.1 million) and 24.3% of young adults (8.8 million) needed substance use treatment in the past year, meaning they had a substance use disorder or received treatment. Of those, 22.8% of adolescents (470,000) and 9.6% of young adults (845,000) received it. Jones said clinicians can help close the gap by integrating substance use and mental health screening into routine care and by educating parents.